Mollusk (e.g., Oyster, Clam, Squid, Mussel, Octopus, Snail, Slug, Scallop) Patents (Class 452/12)
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Patent number: 11696571Abstract: An automated oyster maturation system including a containment assembly rotatably disposed within a housing. The containment assembly includes a spiral construction that includes compartments that are in communication with one another, walls that define the compartments, and ramps. Openings disposed in the walls and ramps increase in size from the outer diameter to the inner diameter of the spiral construction so that, with every complete rotation of the containment assembly, every oyster will tumble further into the spiral construction and ascend from its original compartment into the adjacent inner compartment where opening size is larger than in the original compartment such that only oysters which have grown sufficiently can remain in the adjacent inner compartment while oysters that have not grown sufficiently yet will fall through the openings of the adjacent inner compartment into the original compartment.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2021Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: Mint Machine Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Luke Gray
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Patent number: 8870633Abstract: A cryogen-blanching technique involves brief exposure of an oyster shell to a cryogen. The cryo-blanching weakens the oyster's muscles that close the bivalve tightly shut, but preserves the natural condition of the bulk of the oyster meat. The weakening of the oyster's holding muscles allows shucking the oyster meat in its fresh or natural state without damage or shell fragments.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2013Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Elwha LLCInventors: Maxime Jean Jerome Bilet, Grant Lee Crilly, Nathan P. Myhrvold
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Patent number: 8480459Abstract: A cryogen-blanching technique involves brief exposure of an oyster shell to a cryogen. The cryo-blanching weakens the oyster's muscles that close the bivalve tightly shut, but preserves the natural condition of the bulk of the oyster meat. The weakening of the oyster's holding muscles allows shucking the oyster meat in its fresh or natural state without damage or shell fragments.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2012Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Inventors: Maxime Jean Jerome Bilet, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Grant Lee Crilly
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Publication number: 20130109285Abstract: A cryogen-blanching technique involves brief exposure of an oyster shell to a cryogen. The cryo-blanching weakens the oyster's muscles that close the bivalve tightly shut, but preserves the natural condition of the bulk of the oyster meat. The weakening of the oyster's holding muscles allows shucking the oyster meat in its fresh or natural state without damage or shell fragments.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2011Publication date: May 2, 2013Inventors: Maxime Jean Jerome Bilet, Grant Lee Crilly, Nathan P. Myhrvold
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Publication number: 20130029572Abstract: An apparatus for washing and rinsing bivalves and other mollusks. The bivalves are placed in a hemisphere-shaped strainer and another hemisphere-shaped strainer is attached thereto to form a spherical strainer cage. The spherical strainer cage is mounted on a stand so that it may rotate freely about its axis. The cage rotates on the stand and a rinsing liquid is applied to remove debris from the bivalves contained in the cage.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2011Publication date: January 31, 2013Inventor: Brent David Sausser
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Patent number: 6776700Abstract: A method of gutting a cephalopod, such as squid, the cephalopod having an outer mantle containing internal organs, and the method comprising retaining the outer mantle at a fixed distance from a central axis while rotating the mantle about the said axis whereby the internal organs are subjected to a centrifugal force sufficient to eject the organs outwardly through an open end of the mantle.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2003Date of Patent: August 17, 2004Assignee: Stevedore & Fishery Services LimitedInventor: Peter Davy
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Publication number: 20030216117Abstract: A method of processing abalone is disclosed. The first step involves placing live abalone in a tank of water where they are given an opportunity to de-stress. Thereafter the salinity of the water is decreased to about 2.5%. This has the effect of additional weight being taken up on the musculature of the abalone. Thereafter the abalone are anaesthetised in the tank to minimise any muscular activity during subsequent processing. The abalone are then taken out of the tank and shucked to detach the meat or musculature from the shell and gut exposing the three main blood vessels of the abalone. These blood vessels are then blocked by inserting a blocking material into the open end of the vessel where it forms a plug. This resists the flow of body fluid including blood out of the abalone and assists in retaining the weight of the meat. After the meat has been cleaned a liquid is injected into the meat typically by a multipoint injector.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2003Publication date: November 20, 2003Inventor: Stephen John Edwards
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Patent number: 6508699Abstract: An apparatus for mechanically rinsing and scraping bi-valve mollusks and the like. The mollusks are placed into a perforated drum that is rotated by a motor, the drum having a plurality of agitation protrusions for churning, lifting and dropping the mollusks so they become frictionally engaged with one another and the plurality of abrasive elements contained therein thereby effectively scraping off any barnacles or other like debris. Jet streams of water are emitted to shower the mollusks during operation and a housing assembly that maintains the perforated drum therein also forms a basin that retains the effluence and creates an agitating, churning bath to facilitate cleaning. The front panel of the housing assembly is hinged to a bottom plate thereof and has two perpendicular side panels extending therefrom to form a chute for unloading the mollusks in an orderly manner into a bucket or other like container.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2001Date of Patent: January 21, 2003Inventors: Frank J Santoriello, Richard Santoriello
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Patent number: 6426103Abstract: The invention relates to a process for eliminating pathogenic organisms and other bacteria from raw food products, such as raw shellfish, whereby the molluscan shellfish is exposed to hydrostatic pressure of relatively high value, for example between 20,000 p.s.i. to 150,000 p.s.i. for 1-15 minutes. The process is conducted at minimal elevated temperatures, in the range of above ambient temperature to 150° F., leaving the raw shellfish substantially unaffected, in its desired raw state, such that the pathogenic organisms are destroyed, while sensory characteristics of the raw shellfish remain high. The same process can be used for shucking bivalve mollusks without any mechanical force, with the pressure ranging from 10,000 p.s.i. to 100,000 p.s.i. Taste of raw seafood is enhanced by adding flavor enhancing agents to the pressure vessel before application of pressure.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2000Date of Patent: July 30, 2002Assignee: Innovatit Seafood Systems LLCInventor: Ernest A. Voisin
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Patent number: 6390911Abstract: A shell seafood cracking and serving device for cracking shell seafood with little mess and effort by the user. The shell seafood cracking and serving device includes a utensil having a handle member and a seafood cracking member being securely attached at an end of the handle member.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2000Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Inventor: Ciro Lombardo
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Patent number: 6217435Abstract: The invention relates to a process for eliminating pathogenic organisms from raw food products, such as raw shellfish, whereby the molluscan shellfish is exposed to hydrostatic pressure of relatively high value, for example between 20,000 p.s.i. to 50,000 p.s.i. for 1-15 minutes. The process is conducted at ambient temperatures, leaving the raw shellfish substantially unaffected, in its desired raw state, such that the pathogenic organisms are destroyed, while sensory characteristics of the raw shellfish remain high. The same process can be used for shucking oysters without any mechanical force. A high pressure processor for elimination of bacteria in raw food products is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1999Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Inventor: Ernest A. Voisin
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Patent number: 6193596Abstract: Apparatus for determining the position of a bivalve shellfish (10), particularly a scallop, which is to be processed to recover an edible portion. A shell shape complement (30) has at least a partially complementary shape such as a concavity or recess to fit with at least a part of the shape or profile of the shellfish (10) such as the projecting part (18) at the hinge region (11). Moving means (40) rotates the shellfish relative to the shell shape complement (30) while the shellfish is maintained in contact with the shell shape complement (30) by biasing means operative to bias the shell shape complement (30) against the circumference (15) of the shellfish as the shellfish is rotated by the moving means (40) until a fit of the shellfish (10) with the complement is achieved. A sensor (45) is located within the concavity to sense and signal the achievement of the fit.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 1999Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Assignee: Sasakat Pty LtdInventor: John Trevor Adcock
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Patent number: 6190247Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning the shells of crabs and other crustacean and shellfish for removal of barnacles and other encrusted debris. A conveyor carries the shells through a cleaning station. The cleaning station features a rotating flail, having chains or other like flexible members for impacting against the shells with hard, smooth members for selectively shattering the barnacle shells while permitting the relatively softer crustacean shells to remain intact.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1999Date of Patent: February 20, 2001Assignee: Canpolar East Inc.Inventors: Ernest M. Reimer, Paul Hearn
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Patent number: 6099399Abstract: An automated crustacean processing apparatus provides a scrubbing of crustacean leg portions at high speed and volume and additionally maximizes the amount of leg processable. A cutting arrangement is provided to sever the legs from the body portions with minimum wastage of usable leg material. Asymmetric scrubbing of the upper and lower leg surfaces means that the upper surfaces, which are less debris-laden and feature a commercially significant layer of red colouring receive a less vigorous scrubbing then the leg undersides, which are more debris-laden and do not feature a red layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1998Date of Patent: August 8, 2000Assignee: Canpolar East Inc.Inventors: Paul Hearn, Leslie E. Samson, Ernie Reimer, Stephen King
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Patent number: 6010397Abstract: A method of processing bivalve molluscs comprises filling a basket-like container (11) with the bivalve molluscs and vibrating the bivalve molluscs within the container (11), thereby inducing them to close tightly under stress and compacting them together. A lid (12) is closed to maintain the compact configuration of the bivalve molluscs, which are cooked by immersing the container into boiling seawater, before being removed and plunged into chilled water to halt the cooking process. The bivalve molluscs are then blast frozen. Because the shells of the bivalve molluscs are tightly closed and better compaction is achieved by vibrating the bivalve molluscs than by compressing them into the container (11), the shells are unable to open and the internal juices are retained within the shells throughout the cooking, chilling and freezing steps, thereby resulting in processed bivalve molluscs having greatly improved organoleptic qualities upon thawing.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1997Date of Patent: January 4, 2000Assignee: Gearhies Investments LimitedInventors: Thomas Mayne Adams, John Martin Holland, John Joseph Murphy
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Patent number: 5989117Abstract: A shellfish wash device has a main platform, a wash tank disposed on the main platform, a tubular flow device disposed in the wash tank, a power source disposed beneath the wash tank, a main disk disposed in the tubular flow device, and a rotating cap disposed on the main disk. The power source has a motor, a first bevel gear, a pivot connected to the motor and the first bevel gear, a second bevel gear engaging with the first bevel gear, a shaft connected to the second bevel gear, and a distal portion of the shaft passing through a center of the wash tank, a center of the tubular flow device and a center of the main disk. An end of the shaft is inserted in the rotating cap.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 1998Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Inventor: Kuei-Chou Lin
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Patent number: 5836266Abstract: An apparatus is used to connect shellfish to a culture rope, which includes a shellfish transfer unit (5, 23, 29, 31) that transfers shellfish in a predetermined direction, shellfish (7) being transferred, two by two, in parallel upstanding orientation with their ear end portions (7a) down. The shellfish transferred by the shellfish transfer unit is stopped at a predetermined stop position defined by stoppers (39, 41). A culture rope (51) is supplied to a space between the ear end portions of two shellfish in the stop position. An ear spacer (50) and a pair of shellfish supporting pads (43, 45) cooperate each other to secure the scallops in the stop position where they are subjected to the piercing operation by a piercing unit and the pin-inserting operation by a pin inserting unit so that the ear end portions of two scallops held in parallel relation in the stop position are connected to the culture rope positioned and extending therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1997Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Towa Denki SeisakushoInventor: Kohei Watanabe
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Patent number: 5836101Abstract: An apparatus and method for harvesting brine shrimp from an aquatic environment includes a separator having a containment vessel having a perforated sidewall and a drive assembly for agitating the containment vessel, preferably in a rotational motion about a horizontal axis. A first liquid spray assembly positioned outside of the containment vessel is disposed to direct a spray of liquid over a portion of the exterior of the containment vessel to dislodge shrimp which may be lodged in the perforations of the containment vessel. A second liquid spray assembly, positioned within the hollow interior of the containment vessel, is positioned to drive shrimp eggs contained in the vessel outward through the perforations of the vessel sidewall.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 1996Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Inventor: Charles Tze-An Tuan
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Patent number: 5779530Abstract: Machine for industrially cleaning cephalopods and similar mollusks, which is comprised of two working platforms positioned on one same working plane and equipped with means for synchronized movement between the two; a number of loaders on each platform, which can be aligned positioned opposite one another in twos for their synchronized, cyclic shifting, each loader being capable of holding one cephalopod for cleaning; means for turning the cephalopod inside out and simultaneously turning it right side out on its transfer from a loader on the first working platform to a loader on the second working platform; and means connected to the first and second working platform for cleaning the pertinent tubular mantle and internal organs of the cephalopod while they are positioned outside thereof.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 1997Date of Patent: July 14, 1998Assignee: Elitxu, S.L.Inventor: Inaki Agote
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Patent number: 5494482Abstract: A scallop hanger setting apparatus according to the present invention contains a transport mechanism for transporting a pair of horizontally seated scallops, a perforating mechanism for perforating transported scallops' side-flanges and a culturing rope for through-holes, a threading mechanism for inserting a hanging wire member into the through-holes in the scallops and the culturing rope, a cutter mechanism for cutting the wire member to a predetermined length, a pressing mechanism for pressing both end portions of the cut wire member into deformation, and a driving mechanism for driving each of these mechanisms. The transport mechanism contains press levers for pressing scallops, and the press levers contain adjusting devices for adjusting press lever pressure imposed on scallops.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1994Date of Patent: February 27, 1996Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials CorporationInventors: Atsushi Sakamoto, Hiroshi Tanaka
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Patent number: 5364301Abstract: A semiautomated machine (10) cuts a disk (60a) from the mouth side of sea urchin shells (60) for efficient extraction of gonads, the sea urchin reproductive organs, with minimal damage. The machine is capable of preserving intact the original five segmented star configuration. A conveyor (12) receives and retains sea urchins (60) with the mouth side of the sea urchin shells facing away from the conveyor. A cutter (15) is mounted over the conveyor at a cutting location (16). A relatively thin elongate cutting element (38) is spaced from the conveyor (12) and oriented generally transversely across the conveyor. An extended aligning plane (65,66) parallel to the conveyor is mounted on the opposite side of the elongate cutting element (38) from the conveyor (12) at the cutting location (16). The aligning plane (66) contacts the mouth side of the sea urchin shells and aligns and maintains orientation of the sea urchins with the mouth side of the sea urchin shells facing the aligning plane.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1993Date of Patent: November 15, 1994Assignee: Marine Machines, Inc.Inventors: Michael T. Kestner, Benjamin A. Baxter
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Patent number: 5326306Abstract: The invention is related to a method and an apparatus thereof of continuously producing a tubular mantle meat of the cuttlefish, in which the arms of the cuttlefish engaging with one of knife elements provided spaced at a certain distance on an endless chain running continuously is pulled toward a direction contrary to the run of said endless chain, thereby removing at least arms of the cuttlefish along with the viscera affixed to the arms preparing a tubular mantle and in which a skirt end of resultant mantle is aligned along a reference line and in which the skirt end, the fins and a portion of the tubular mantle adjacent to the fins, are cut in a state that the skirt end stands at an aligned position.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 1993Date of Patent: July 5, 1994Assignee: Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.Inventors: Toshiaki Katade, Tadanori Isayama, Takeya Yoshioka
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Patent number: 5299972Abstract: Crab sections are held in stacks of nested baskets detachably mounted on opposite sides of a lift tree which is adapted to be hung from an overhead hoist and conveyed from a loading station to processing stations and then to an unloading station. At the loading and unloading stations the lift tree is held vertically on a turntable which is preferably adjustable in height.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1992Date of Patent: April 5, 1994Assignee: Northwest Wire Works, Inc.Inventors: John T. Heffernan, James D. Orr